Found Deceased CA - Fang Jin, 47, flew to LA from China, train to Palm Springs, Morongo Basin, 21 Jul 2023, w/ JohnRoot Fitzpatrick, 55, missing, 30 Jul ‘23

[megs1477]

So, the misadventure must have happened on 7/24. The desert areas are vast, but I guess the best search locations might be around wherever the last phone ping was.

Where else would be starting places to search? I was thinking JRF’s home would be one place. See if there’s any notes or maps, etc that might give a clue where intended destinations were.

That has been my thought for some time now. I looked up some cell phone coverage maps and it shows it very spotty throughout that area and even worse for international plans.

As far as the route. Scroll out a bit on the map and follow the highway down through thermal over to Julian then look and there are a couple roads that loop around back to Palm Springs.

 

[Herat]

Of course - I had already addressed ravines. Obviously, tumbleweed could do it, if it were the right ravine. Existing brush could do it, esp if the truck were upside down, as you say.

But elsewhere, not so likely. And certainly less likely if the car were rightside up. I was speaking of a sandstorm absent ALL other misadventure (stuck off road, collision, ravine, etc). When people pull off the road for a sandstorm, they are still near a road. Not likely to be hidden by any sandstorm I've ever heard of in SoCal. And it would have to be tumbleweed season, Imo, for a truck by the side of a road to be covered in them.

I am pretty familiar with SoCal (and AZ and NM) sandstorms. The worst I've experienced were in NM. Still no cars covered up, though. If they were off roading in dunes (was his truck even 4WD? I don't think we've seen any evidence that it was, but maybe), surely he would have carried gear for self-extraction (people get stuck in sand or mud all the time but they don't usually stay in the truck/car until it's covered up by sand or mud). Worst case scenario would be getting stranded with no cell service, which is more the scenario I'm envisioning.

But unless they went off the road into a ravine (or even a small gully or barranca), they should be near a road of some kind. If that's the case, something had to have prevented them from going for help - such as heat. Or, if they did something like spin off a dirt road into rocky territory (unable to self-extract), perhaps they didn't have the resources to walk out. That I can easily imagine - and some of the roads out there are not frequently traveled. STILL, it's a long time for a truck near a road not to be seen.

So, it's either ravine for me or something much more nefarious (or something much more prosaic, such as running out of gas or having engine trouble - there is definitely a reason some desert dwellers want their trucks prepped for sand-wind conditions).

The advice is always to bring plenty of water, just in case; stay with one's car; have some type of bright colored blanket/shade cover. The hurricane hit south of where they were on August 20 - almost a month after last ping from one of them.

IMO

TL;DR being stranded is a possibility - but not a happy one, at all.

And you can do things like set an oil fire ( in the sand for safety) as it is smoky and will attract attenion.

If you have a bad tire, you can set it on fire.

He is supposed to be a survivalist who would know this.

 

[sasha17]

And you can do things like set an oil fire ( in the sand for safety) as it is smoky and will attract attenion.

If you have a bad tire, you can set it on fire.

He is supposed to be a survivalist who would know this.

I think this points toward him being incapacitated in some way and not able to do anything like that.

 

[10ofRods]

And you can do things like set an oil fire ( in the sand for safety) as it is smoky and will attract attenion.

If you have a bad tire, you can set it on fire.

He is supposed to be a survivalist who would know this.

Good points. Very good points. And as the stormy weather did not begin until nearly 30 days later, such signals should have been seen (unless they truly went to the most remote parts of the SE corner of CA - or into Mexico or parts of AZ.

The pictures we have of Fang Jim in the first few days do not appear to be taken very far from Morongo Valley, so it is worrying to wonder if she was really with him in Thermal or Julian. I think her last uploads were just before Thermal.

 

[Sundog]

It’d be good if we knew how Fang and JRF communicated while she was in China. And how they met, in the first place. Was it on a forum?

China doesn’t allow Facebook, so was it through WeChat? I don’t know a lot about WeChat, but I think I read you can’t just chat immediately. You’d need to know their WeChat ID, and they have to accept your request first. Anyone here on WS use WeChat and can give us insight?

I may sound ignorant, but is it easy to email someone in China from the US? Do they use the same email providers we do?

If Fang was able to use JRF’s phone to email a message, I hope the daughter carefully checked her spam folder in case the email showed up there.

Yes, same email used (gmail is what we use to communicate with friends and family in China, and also when we are there and are communicating with folks back home in the U.S. )

We never use WeChat because of government monitoring in the PRC, but just about everyone in China uses WeChat - both young and old. We also use Skype for phone calls for the times when the cell coverage isn't good - both here in the U.S. and also when in China.

It is troubling that Fang wasn't able to use JRF's phone if hers wasn't accessible (lost or not working) and his phone pinged for a day or two later after her phone wasn't responding.

 

[megs1477]

It is troubling that Fang wasn't able to use JRF's phone if hers wasn't accessible (lost or not working) and his phone pinged for a day or two later after her phone wasn't responding.

Her family stated in the Chinese media early on that she was not checking in every day. It was either every other day or every 2-3 days, I can not recall which.

 

[charminglane]

Even if Fang lost her phone, she would have been able to use another and reverse the charges, I believe.

 

[Deleted member 238350]

Yes, same email used (gmail is what we use to communicate with friends and family in China, and also when we are there and are communicating with folks back home in the U.S. )

We never use WeChat because of government monitoring in the PRC, but just about everyone in China uses WeChat - both young and old. We also use Skype for phone calls for the times when the cell coverage isn't good - both here in the U.S. and also when in China.

It is troubling that Fang wasn't able to use JRF's phone if hers wasn't accessible (lost or not working) and his phone pinged for a day or two later after her phone wasn't responding.

JRF may not have had an international calling plan.

 

[charminglane]

If all was well, Fang would have replaced her phone. Fer sher.

 

[10ofRods]

JRF may not have had an international calling plan.

Good point - almost no one does. We have one on just one phone (family in Europe). We would not add a second plan while traveling, I'm sure. We'd figure we had other ways to communicate within the next few days.

If all was well, Fang would have replaced her phone. Fer sher.

I am not so sure. I've lost a phone on vacation and replacing it in another nation is expensive and will be operating on the wrong plan when we get home. Esp. replacing with a smart phone. But what's worse, if FJ's phone stopped working for some reason, she may not have had all her contacts available to her. Surely one of the first things a person would do is try and find out a different way of contacting family? Using wifi instead of cellular?

Of course, if she really didn't have direct phone numbers memorized, she'd have had to use social media - but surely she could have done that on JRF"s phone?

If she lost her phone in Thermal or Julian, her resources for a new one might have been cheap phones in convenience stores (still not very cheap, though). Nearest phone stores would be in Indio, I think. Not sure that the one place listed in Julian (Hog Heaven) actually sells phones.

It continues to be one of the most frustrating cases ever.

IMO.

 

[Deleted member 238350]

When I see photos of JRF, I find myself wondering about his health. He looks very thin and his face is somewhat gaunt. If he had had some health issues, it could be an unknown factor of concern.

 

[tarabull]

Snipped...
...If you know relevant information, please contact the following phone number:
US mobile number: (626) 360-6807
Mainland China mobile phone number: +8619925377933

华人女南加州失联7天！请帮忙寻找！ | Redian新闻

紧急寻人！紧急寻人！紧急寻人！日前，有华人网友发贴称，他的母亲于加州时间7月21日晚上22点左右一直处于失联状态，最后联络位置于约书亚树国家公园Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino附近，称将于与同行人前往沙漠的小镇上露营，具体前往地点不知。 失联人姓名：

redian.news

ETA:

Snipped...
...If have any information on Jin and Fitzpatrick's whereabouts, you are urged to contact dispatch immediately at (909) 790-3100. You can also contact Detective Bengard at (760)366-4175 or [email protected]

Authorities confirm link in two missing person cases in Morongo Basin

Two missing person cases out of the Morongo Basin area are linked, authorities confirmed to News Channel 3 on Thursday.

kesq.com

 

[tarabull]

Sept 13, 2023:

https://min.news/en/world/d8cda29704f46e845361a60603a0f7dc.html

 

[Teche]

Sept 13, 2023:

https://min.news/en/world/d8cda29704f46e845361a60603a0f7dc.html

This article states that it’s an online boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

 

[sasha17]

This article states that it’s an online boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

The wording of the whole article sounds like a translation. I wouldn't put much stock in that being a reliable source for details.

 

[Teche]

The wording of the whole article sounds like a translation. I wouldn't put much stock in that being a reliable source for details.

I thought that after I posted.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

As to the relationship, I am prettttty sure after reading so much online about these 2, this was a budding romantic relationship where she ended up visiting California after finally Chinese citizens became eligible to leave for tourist travel. There are commentaries by the family members that they had been in communication for about 6 months prior. Also the idea that JRF offered to pay for JF's flight to LAX but she ended up paying her own way.

This talk of her paying him as a tour guide is absolutely preposterous to me, I don't ever see this happening.

All moo.

 

[tarabull]

At least someone wrote about these 2 missing people...since it seems no one is actual "boots on the ground" searching.

 

[mark1969]

Did somebody (such as police) also contacted Toyota , to open the tracing system of the car to check where the blue Toyota Tacoma with a California license plate 24478S1 could be ?

 

[annpats]

At least someone wrote about these 2 missing people...since it seems no one is actual "boots on the ground" searching.

Yes, why is that?

Do you think it's to do with the vastness of the terrain?